York: Highfield Princess Back on the Knavesmire to Defend Nunthorpe Crown

   Friday sees the G1 Coolmore Wootton Bassett Nunthorpe S. take centre stage at York with the returning heroine of last year Highfield Princess (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) the star turn in the line-up for the Win-and-You're-In contest ahead of the GI Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint. Emphatic 12 months ago when dismissing the 2-year-old The Platinum Queen (Ire) (Cotai Glory {GB}), the John Quinn-trained 6-year-old has to do it all again with another juvenile Big Evs (Ire) (Blue Point {Ire}) lurking with his 21-pounds weight-for-age swing.

Having come up short against the revitalised TDN Rising Star Bradsell (GB) (Tasleet {GB}) in the G1 King's Stand S. and finished third in the G1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee S. at the beginning and end of Royal Ascot, there was a question mark over whether the formidable mare retained her level of last season. Having brushed off those doubts when regaining her dominant aura in the G2 King George S. at Goodwood earlier this month, she returns to the track at which she also won the 2022 G2 1895 Duke Of York S.

“It's a spicy race,” Quinn said. “When a three-year-old wins a King's Stand you have to sit up and take notice and the two-year-old is a Royal Ascot winner and a Goodwood winner and looks really tough, hardy and mature, so they are two and something else could pop up who at their best could be in the mix. Goodwood was very good, so we're hopeful anyway. She's done so much and people expect plenty from her, but she seems in good nick and she loves this place, which is all you can ask.”

Bradsell, who also went through a fallow period after his G2 Coventry S. success last June, was remarkably having his first try at this five-furlong trip when upstaging Highfield Princess at this year's Royal Ascot but he has to do it on the flat, fast strip which offers such a contrast to the Berkshire venue. “We thought he might not have as much early speed as the Australian sprinters, but he showed more speed than ever before and really thrived down in trip,” Hollie Doyle said of the King's Stand performance. “He's our flagbearer at Archie's and it's great to be going to the Nunthorpe with a live chance again.”

The Mick Appleby-trained Big Evs, one of the key members of his remarkable sire's first crop, has been added at a cost of £40,000 following his Listed Windsor Castle S. and G3 Molecomb S. successes with his connections hoping they have timed it right with that huge weight concession. Clipper Logistics' TDN Rising Star Dramatised (Ire) (Showcasing {GB}) won the G2 Queen Mary S. last year and the G2 Temple S. on her 3-year-old bow and this could be ideally poised if she can put a disappointing effort in the King's Stand behind her.

“It was a non-event at Ascot, we thought we were drawn on the wrong side,” the owners' racing manager Joe Foley said. “Danny [Tudhope] came in and said he looked up two furlongs out and they were a long, long way behind. Also the ground was quite dead on the first day of Ascot and she needs fast ground, hence we missed the King George at Goodwood. She has been working very, very well, so it'll be interesting to see where she stands with the proper group one sprinters now that she is a mature three-year-old and is getting her ground.”

 

TDN Rising Star Johannes Brahms Heads Gimcrack cast…
In the G2 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Gimcrack S., Ballydoyle are represented by TDN Rising Star Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), still exciting and unexposed having chased home Big Evs in the Windsor Castle over an inadequate five furlongs. Ryan Moore already knows all about the impressive Listed Dragon S. winner Kylian (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), who may have been compromised by Goodwood's soft ground when third in the Molecomb, so major market support for the Aidan O'Brien raider will be significant.

“I rode Kylian in the Molecomb and we didn't see the best of him there,” Moore said. “He may be the one to beat, up in trip, but Johannes Brahms is a colt with improvement in him. He already brings a good level of form to the table, winning over sic furlongs on his debut and then chasing home Big Evs stepped down to five in the Windsor Castle, and he is a horse I like.”

This is always tough and the presence of the G2 Vintage S. winner Haatem (Ire) (Phoenix Of Spain {Ire}) and Clipper Logistics' highly-regarded Newmarket novice scorer King's Gamble (Ire) (Kingman {GB}) are another two to stand out. The latter, who is trained by Ralph Beckett, earned a supplementary entry with his performance on debut and Joe Foley explained, “He's a horse that we will probably step up to seven soon, but Danny Tudhope thought he showed a lot of speed at Newmarket that Friday and the sectionals backed that up, so we thought we would give the Gimcrack a go.”

 

Courage Mon Ami On Retrieval Mission In The Lonsdale Cup…
Another who failed to shine at Goodwood's Qatar Festival was Wathnan Racing's G1 Gold Cup hero Courage Mon Ami (GB) (Frankel {GB}), who became like so many others lost in the backwash behind Quickthorn (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) in the G1 Goodwood Cup. Having learned from that experience, connections will possibly be looking for a change of tactics in Friday's G2 Weatherbys Hamilton Lonsdale Cup. John Gosden is hoping the 4-year-old can put up a fight this time. “We all know the Goodwood Cup was an interestingly different sort of race and not dissimilar to the Lonsdale last year, really,” he said. “He couldn't get a run and then when he did get a run, the race was over. So, he had what I call a nice racecourse gallop, really!”

Quickthorn, who had given forewarning to his Goodwood rivals with a 14-length beating of Coltrane (Ire) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}) in this 12 months ago, is the enviable mount of Tom Marquand who understands just how fast to go throughout the early stages of these staying contests. “In the Lonsdale, he pretty much ran away with me if I'm honest,” he admitted. “I was going to make the running, but I didn't intend to go that fast and he was doing too much really. But he's a lot more measured now and at Goodwood he never felt as though he was going that quick. Hughie [Morrison] has done an amazing job having Quickthorn right on the day so far and he's no one-trick pony. Far from it. He doesn't have to make the running, so long as he finds a rhythm and is in his comfort zone and he only has to beat horses he has beaten before.”

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First Black Type Winner For Blue Point As Big Evs Wins The Windsor Castle

Choosing the big stage to provide Darley's first-crop sire Blue Point (Ire) with his first black-type winner, RP Racing's Big Evs (Ire) stormed to an emphatic success in Royal Ascot's Listed Windsor Castle S. which closed Wednesday's card. Alert from the stalls under Jason Hart, the Michael Appleby-trained 20-1 shot who had been second to the re-opposing Hala Emaraaty (Ire) (Kodiac {GB}) at Redcar last month was soon in the clear racing towards the stand's side. Powering to the line, the 50,000gns Book 2 purchase issued a three-length beating to Ballydoyle's TDN Rising Star Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}), with Inquisitively (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}) 3/4 of a length away in third.

Out of Hana Lina (GB) (Oasis Dream {GB}), a daughter of the champion Queen's Logic (Ire) (Grand Lodge) who took the Queen Mary here when it was a group 3 in 2001, Big Evs was not surprising his trainer, who had been third in Tuesday's G1 King's Stand S. “Big Evs worked with Annaf earlier in the week and I thought this has got to have a great chance at Royal Ascot, because Annaf is a machine,” he said. “We really fancied him at Redcar, but the draw did us.”

“It's a great team effort and thanks to [owner] Paul [Teasdale] for sending him to me,” Appleby added. He's got so much speed–I've never had a horse as quick as him. I'm not sure what we'll do next. There are some big targets to come for him now, so we'll see where we go with him.”

Hart added, “Mick was quietly confident and said this horse had done an excellent bit of work. He has taken a big step forward from his Redcar run and put up a good performance. I was massively hopeful we could reverse the placings with Hala Emaraaty, because there is a massive track bias at Redcar at the moment and I was drawn on the stands' side. If you don't get on the far side, you've not really got much chance and I had to use a lot of horse to get a good position. That told in the final 100 yards, but the horse has come on a lot for that run.”

Paul Teasdale revealed the meaning behind the winner's title. “I named Big Evs after someone very special, a man who I knew for 40 years, but he died in November. He was Paul Evans–we called him Evs and he was a big guy. We went racing together for 25 years and so to win this means so much.”

Pedigree Notes
The dam, who also has a yearling filly by Ribchester (Ire), is carrying on a rich Ascot tradition via her son with the aforementioned Queen's Logic who went on to win the G1 Cheveley Park S. and G2 Lowther S. also responsible for the high-class sprinter Lady Of The Desert (Rahy) who took the G2 Diadem S. and G3 Princess Margaret S. at this venue. She went on to produce Queen Kindly (GB) (Frankel {GB}), another Lowther winner who was third in the G3 Albany S. The family also features the champion Dylan Thomas (Ire), whose several top-level victories included the King George VI & Queen Elizabeth S. and G1 Prince of Wales's S., as well as the fellow Classic-winning luminaries Homecoming Queen (Ire) (Holy Roman Emperor {Ire}) and Serpentine (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}).

Wednesday, Royal Ascot, Britain
WINDSOR CASTLE S.-Listed, £100,000, Ascot, 6-21, 2yo, 5fT, :59.91, g/f.
1–BIG EVS (IRE), 131, c, 2, by Blue Point (Ire)
1st Dam: Hana Lina (GB), by Oasis Dream (GB)
2nd Dam: Queen's Logic (Ire), by Grand Lodge
3rd Dam: Lagrion, by Diesis (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (50,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-RP Racing Ltd; B-Rabbah Bloodstock Ltd (IRE); T-Michael Appleby; J-Jason Hart. £56,710. Lifetime Record: 2-1-1-0, $74,891.
2–Johannes Brahms (GB), 131, c, 2, Siyouni (Fr)–Illaunmore, by Shamardal. 1ST BLACK TYPE. (200,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Tabor, Smith, Magnier, Westerberg & Brant; B-Chasemore Farm (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. £21,500.
3–Inquisitively (GB), 131, c, 2, Ten Sovereigns (Ire)–Ballyalla (GB), by Mind Games (GB). 1ST BLACK TYPE. (45,000gns Wlg '21 TADEWE; 40,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). O-Justin Casse & Partners; B-Glebe Farm Stud (GB); T-Ollie Sangster. £10,760.
Margins: 3, 3/4, NK. Odds: 20.00, 3.33, 18.00.
Also Ran: Up The Manor (GB), Alabama (Ire), Myconian (Ire), Hala Emaraaty (Ire), Ganesha (GB), Mayo Neighs (Ire), Supersonic Man (GB), Barnwell Boy (GB), Muqtahem (Ire), World of Darcy (Ire), Lieutenant Rascal (Ire), Action Point (Ire), Scoops Ahoy (Ire), Fusterlandia (Ire), Sergeant Wilko (Ire), Bombay Bazaar (GB), Sir Bolton (Ire), Hackman (Ire), Magnificent Match (Fr), Maximum Impact (GB). Scratched: Fandom (GB), Seven Questions (Ire), Two Tribes (GB).

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Siyouni Colt Another TDN Rising Star At Naas

There was a strong vibe about Ballydoyle's Johannes Brahms (GB) (Siyouni {Fr}–Illaunmore, by Shamardal) ahead of Saturday's six-furlong Irish Stallion Farms EBF Race at Naas and he did not disappoint to show distinct promise and earn TDN Rising Star status. Jumping smartly under Seamie Heffernan to race on the front end, the 5-6 favourite was kept company by the Ger Lyons-trained fellow newcomer Tourist (GB) (Zoustar {Aus}) and was briefly headed inside the two. Battling against the rail, the 200,000gns Book 1 purchase who races for Coolmore, Westerberg and Brant eked out a half-length success.

“I'd say they are two nice colts and I'd like to own either,” the winning rider said. “He was sleepy and green going to the start, is quick and is going to get quicker. When they are strong like this they can go to Ascot.” Stable representative Chris Armstrong added of the bay, whose sire's eight TDN Rising Stars include the G1 Moyglare Stud S. winner Tahiyra (Ire), “He's a smashing colt, he's got plenty of size about him and has a lot of class and speed. He showed a bit of greenness throughout, at home they haven't been off the bridle, and they penny hasn't dropped with this fella yet.”

“There is a lot to like about him,” Armstrong continued. “Seamus thought he had plenty of gears for a horse his size and he cruises very well. We'll try and get one more run into him before Ascot and he's one to look forward to. We thought that trip might have been his minimum but Seamus said he's versatile, five or six and he can go up further. From the three home he was never really travelling, he was a bit lost, but once Seamus got him gathered up he found the line well and kept stretching out. Once the penny drops, he should be lovely at any trip.”

 

Johannes Brahms becomes the second winner from as many runners and foals of racing age for the
Listed Prix de la Pepiniere and Listed Prix Urban Sea-placed Illaunmore, the leading performer out of the G3 Albany S.-placed Illaunglass (Ire) (Red Clubs {Ire}). She is in turn kin to the Listed Heron S. winner and G1 Criterium International-placed Redolent (Ire) (Redback {GB}) and to the listed scorer and G3 Summer S. third Pepita (Ire) (Sir Prancealot {Ire}). Also related to the G1 Flying Five runner-up Son Of Rest (GB) (Pivotal {GB}) and the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Forest Flower (Green Forest), Illaunmore's yearling filly is by Camelot (GB).

3rd-Naas, €22,000, Cond, 5-6, 2yo, 5f 205yT, 1:13.90, g/y.
JOHANNES BRAHMS (GB), c, 2, by Siyouni (Fr)
     1st Dam: Illaunmore (MSP-Fr), by Shamardal
     2nd Dam: Illaunglass (Ire), by Red Clubs (Ire)
     3rd Dam: Esterlina (Ire), by Highest Honor (Fr)
(200,000gns Ylg '22 TATOCT). Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $14,545. O-Tabor/Smith/Magnier/Westerberg/Brant; B-Chasemore Farm (GB); T-Aidan O'Brien. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.

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